Animals
« Previous Entries Next Entries »The Secret Garden of Siegfried and Roy
By rocky | April 23, 2008
Siegfried and Roy are Las Vegas institutions they performed amazing animal and magic shows on the Las Vegas strip for decades until a horrific accident involving a tiger nearly killed poor Roy a few years back. Today the duo are remembered with a magnificent animal park at the Mirage Casino Complex. Here amongst an amazing tropical sanctuary are the most beautiful royal white tigers which the team were so famous for along with leopards, white lions, panthers and even an elephant. The sanctuary also includes a watered area with 2.5 million litres of tropical seas and coral reefs which are home to Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins. The centre is committed to conservation and hope this centre will help people understand the importance of these amazing animals and the real threats they are exposed to which threaten their species existence. This is a magnificent way to escape from the neon and artificialness of Vegas and experience some of the world’s finest animals in their very own Vegas oasis.
Topics: Americas, Animals | No Comments »
A few fine feathered friends
By rocky | April 22, 2008
Singapore’s Jurong Bird Park is one of the island city’s most popular attractions. The park has recently completed a multi million dollar make over and offers so much for the visitor. Some highlights include The Waterfall aviary would have to be the parks most spectacular home to 60 species and over 1500 birds all living in a huge enclosure which includes a 30 metre high man made waterfall. The aviary is that huge it even has own monorail. Labelled the Panorail which travels through it. The Bird’s and buddies show is also a crowd favourite with parrot and cockatoo performances and an exciting birds of prey show. And there is nothing as cute as the penguin exhibit more than 200 of these artic black and white feathery friends call the exhibit home, the exhibit includes Humboldt, the Rockhopper, the Macaroni, the Fairy and the majestic King Penguin. The Darkness exhibit is also a great chance to see nocturnal birds including fish owls, snowy owls and herons all living happily in reverse light conditions.
Topics: Animals, Asia | No Comments »
Frankfurt Airport’s Animal Lounge
By rocky | April 15, 2008
German airline Lufthansa this week opened the world’s most modern animal cargo facility at Frankfurt Airport. Located near Gat 26 the Frankfurt Animal Lounge now houses all the animals which the airline is transporting to and from the airport. This innovative move took 13 months to construct using the latest in European animal welfare rules and strict hygene and veterinary medicine requirements. The carrier transports thousands of animals every year including some 14000 cats and dogs, 1500 horses and tens of thousands of tropical fish. They also transport farm animals and many endangered and rare animals for zoos and wildlife parks. 25 vets and another 60 support staff are on hand to ensure all animals have a comfortable stay while being shipped to and form Frankfurt.
Topics: Animals, Europe | No Comments »
Happy animals in a Chinese Zoo
By rocky | March 11, 2008
A lot of China’s zoos and animal parks have the visitor’s entertainment higher up their list of priorities than the animal’s welfare, well the Xiangjiang Safari Park is situated in Dashi Town of Panyu District, Guangzhou is an exception. It has world standards and is one of the very few zoo’s outside of Australia to have bred koalas and they have bread over half the white tigers left on Earth. The zoo is massive it covers 130 hectares is home to 10.000 animals from 300 species and gets over 10 million visitors a year. Sure the park is half theme park and there are animal shows but the zoo is a valuable research and centre wildlife conservation. The park is broken into two areas, one where you can visit the animals on foot and the other where you can board a trolley and to into the open savanna which has three themes Asian Plains, Predator Island and Africa Savanna. The zoo has an impressive list of animals including white tigers, white lions, polar bears, hippos and of course the beautiful and endangered Giant Panda, but the stars of the zoo seem to be the Koalas. The Zoo is located about 30mins from the heart of Guangzhou city don’t get this zoo confused with the city’s zoo- it just doesn’t compare. Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Animals, Asia | No Comments »
A whale of a time in Spain
By rocky | March 5, 2008
Valencia in Spain is home to the world’s largest aquarium in Europe, it is home to 45,000 animals and over 500 different species including sharks, penguins, dolphins, seals, walruses and these amazing beluga whales. The beluga whale comes from Arctic regions and grows to about 5 metres long. As you will see from today’s You Tube video its not hard to see why they are the aquarium’s star attraction. They are extremely intelligent and from the The centre is part of the Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciencies which is a huge complex with some amazing architecture and also features an opera house, Imax, planetarium, laserium and a huge science museum all set out in beautiful parklands and waterways. Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Animals, Europe, Youtube of the week | No Comments »
The Leningrad Zoo
By rocky | February 29, 2008
Located in Alexander Park in St Petersburg is Russia’s oldest zoo. It was founded in 1865 by Sophia and Julius Gerhardt and is today home to over 400 species of animals. The Zoo has had a bit of a sad past, in the early 1900’s the zoo was very run down and closed to visitors. But in 1918 the zoo was restored and hunting expeditions were sent out to capture animals from around the world. But the Second World War brought more problems the poor old hippos had to eat sawdust porridge to survive the city’s siege by the evil Nazis. And although the people of Leningrad were starving the treasured elephants were kept fed and happy until they were sadly killed by bombs in an air raid in 1944. The city’s people were devastated, and the zoo closed for a while before re opening with a new elephant and some other exotic animals. Today the zoo is back to its former glory and a favorite for young and old.
Topics: Animals, Europe | No Comments »
Fatso the Fat Arsed Wombat
By rocky | February 26, 2008
During the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games Fatso the Fat Arsed Wombat became the unofficial Olympic mascot and was caused quiet a stir doing it. The official mascots were Syd, Ollie and Mille they were a Platypus, an echidna and Kookaburra but they got overshaddowed by Fatso. Fatso was the creation of a Sydney cartoonist and featured on Sport’s comedians Roy & HG’s nightly show The Dream he overshaddowed the real mascots to the point the Australian Olympic Committe tried to ban him or stop their athletes getting seen with him.. Fatso survived and won the day he even ended up standing on the dias during a medal presentation. Fatso eventually got auctioned for charty reaching over $80,000, now living in a glass box in a TV executives office. But Fatso lives on and has been imortalised right outside the Sydney Olympic Stadium where a lifesize model of the fat arsed wombat appears on a pole showing all his glory. A must for anyone visiting the home of the best Olympics Games ever.
Topics: Animals, Australia, Kitsch Stuff | No Comments »
The Giant Beaver at Beaverlodge Alberta
By rocky | February 15, 2008
Imagine a beaver 15 ft tall, 18 feet long and 10 feet wide weighing in at 3000 points well next to highway 43 in Baverlodge Alberta you might just see one. But don’t be too alarmed he is not going to eat you alive he is made of foam, steel and polyurethane. The beaver was built in 2004 as part of the towns 75th anniversary celebrations and had become the town’s favorite attraction. The areas around Beaverlodge as you would expect by the name are homes to the beaver which is the world’s largest rodent. These busy little fellows build dams in the waters out of mud, stones and branches.
Topics: Americas, Animals | No Comments »
Valentines Day, with your partner and a llama
By rocky | February 14, 2008
What could be a more romantic way to spend Valentines Day, with your partner and a llama, well if you are near Guilford in England which is about 40 minutes from the centre of London, you can have just this. The day starts with a romantic llama trek, thought he scenic hills of Surry which are looking quiet lovely although bloody cold. The trek lasts about 2 1/2 hours before ending up at a Percy’s Arms Pub at St. Martha’s Hill for a three course carvery and a glass of champagne, the dinner is for you and your partner, the llama has to stay out side. You can spend the afternoon knocking back a few pints of lager before heading home with your loved one or the llama.
Topics: Animals, UK | No Comments »
1.5 million people watch these otters each week
By rocky | January 31, 2008
The Vancouver Aquarium in Canada has had a You Tube hit on its hands with 2 of their furry little otters. The video has been You Tube’s biggest animal video for a few weeks now and over 1.5 million people have viewed it each week. It shows a video which was actually taken about five years ago of two otters holding hands and looking very cute. The aquarium is hoping for bumper traffic for people rushing to see this little critters live and hopes that the touching story about Nyac the female, who survived the horrific Exxon Valdez Oil spill will help educate people about the importance of the coastal environment. Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Americas, Animals, Youtube of the week | No Comments »